AIM Archives - Page 4 of 13

Published April 8, 2014

School-to-Home Access for Print-Disabled Students Includes Digital Books, iPads and Apps

We want to thank Jessica Chandler, an Ohio Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for sharing this article. It’s about the spirit of teamwork in her district and working together to extend reading opportunities for students with print disabilities from school to home. Ms. Chandler is a Bookshare Mentor Teacher. Kudos to District’s Special Education Administrator! Jessica credits her district’s Special Education Administrator, Dr. Deborah Turner, for her forward-thinking approach. “I applaud Dr. Turner’s vision to use digital accessible books and reading technologies to help students prepare early for reading assignments and to train all…

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Published March 19, 2014

Stay Connected to Get More Out of Bookshare!

In this blog, you’ll get the scoop on all your favorite online hotspots like the Bookshare blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest so that you can quickly reach our staff, get timely answers to your questions, learn about Bookshare products, trainings and events and connect with the broader community that supports people with print disabilities. Are you fully connected? If not, join us now! The Bookshare Blog If you like reading stories, the Bookshare blog is your best bet! It’s a great place to keep up with real-time news and events, learn best practices, and enjoy testimonials from members who use…

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Published March 9, 2014

ATIA 2014 Conference & Bookshare Roundup!

This year’s conference was a resounding success, and we thank the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) for the great work they do to organize the conference and other events throughout the year. Conferences, like ATIA, are very important for learning new knowledge and for special opportunities to meet with new and long-standing Bookshare members in person. Bringing together such a diverse community of educators, parents, researchers, and developers helps us all to grow and share new and better ways to support children and adults with disabilities. To that end, here’s a quick roundup of our presentations, trainings and lively…

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Published February 24, 2014

Honoring Women in History—March

March is Women’s History Month. Do you know the name of a woman astronomer who discovered a comet in 1847? Who was the first woman Indian Chief to lead the Cherokee Nation? Who fought for a woman’s right to vote? We’ve pulled together some interesting titles about women activists, leaders, poets, and individuals who conquered remarkable odds to improve society. First, to answer our question about a woman astronomer. Maria Mitchell (1818–1889) was an astronomer who discovered a comet, which was named after her, on October 1, 1847. She was the first woman elected to the American Association for the…

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Published February 10, 2014

Parent Advocates for Learning Portability for Children with Chronic Illness

Each year, thousands of students miss school due to a chronic illness and fall behind on their homework. This is the case for Hailey Bopp, a Texas youngster who is blind and has cognitive delays. “When Hailey misses school, she gets sad and depressed,” says Ann Bopp, her mom, “because she doesn’t get to read the books her teacher and classmates are reading.” To mitigate her daughter’s frustration, Ann signed Hailey up for a Bookshare individual membership and advocates for the online library to other families in similar situations. “Using Bookshare and an iPad, Hailey keeps up with reading assignments…

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Published January 28, 2014

Teacher-Recommended Titles for Black History Month

Earlier, we wrote about Black History Month. In this blog, we want to share some great reading recommendations from one of our amazing sponsor members, Donna Schneider. Donna is an Assistive Technology Specialist and Bookshare Mentor Teacher. She gave us her list of teacher-recommended books to read and learn about black history. Some titles meet Common Core Standards, so please share them with other teachers and students. Here’s a tip! Use Reading Lists to save, organize, and share these books with students who have Individual Memberships. View this tutorial for educators or this tutorial for Individual Members. * * *…

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Published January 20, 2014

Honoring Black History Month – February

February is Black History Month. Did you know that Carter G. Woodson originated Black History Week in 1926 in an effort to place African American history into the study of American history? In preparation for this event, here are titles to check out in the Bookshare library in honor of many individuals who impacted American history. We also invite you to join our discussions on Facebook about these courageous men and women. Carter G. Woodson—A Life in Black History by Jacqueline Goggin (HS, College, Adult) In 1912, Woodson (1875–1950) became the first and only individual of slave parentage to earn…

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Published January 13, 2014

Two FREE “Bookshare for Educators” Workshops during ATIA 2014 Conference in Orlando

Educators near or close to Orlando, Florida, and those who will attend the ATIA 2014 conference, reserve your seat now for FREE Bookshare training workshops on Friday, January 31. This is your chance to get hands-on training and answers to questions directly from our Bookshare trainers. You do not have to register for ATIA to participate. The events will take place at the Caribe Royal Hotel in conjunction with ATIA 2014. Once we reserve your spot, we’ll send you details in a confirmation email. Space is limited, so please sign up on the waiting list for these in-depth training sessions:…

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Published December 26, 2013

Praise for Accessible Books and Reading Technologies by Bookshare Mentor Teacher

As 2013 comes to an end, we want to send our heartfelt thanks to all educators, sponsors and Bookshare Mentor Teachers who continue to partner with us to provide accessible educational opportunities to their students. With that sentiment, we’d like to share this letter from Theresa Brousseau, a teacher of the visually impaired, who wrote us this letter. “Thanks to Bookshare, I feel good that I’m able to help more students with print disabilities achieve their goals, make progress and be successful! As a VI teacher, the students I work with require reading assignments in accessible formats to access the…

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Published December 19, 2013

Bookshare Listed Among World’s 100 Most Inspiring Applications of Digital Technology for Social Innovation

This post is reposted from the Benetech Blog. The Nominet Trust, a United Kingdom leading social tech funder, included Bookshare, a Benetech Global Literacy initiative, on its list of 100 global ventures using digital technology to solve some of the world’s biggest social problems. Through its innovative technologies, Bookshare is raising the floor for people with print disabilities (such as visual impairments, physical disabilities, or severe learning disabilities) by providing them with the world’s largest collection of accessible copyrighted content and reading tools. Bookshare currently has over 250,000 members and a collection of more than 220,000 titles, which are delivered…

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Category: AIM